Device for cranking automobiles.



J. S. CLARKE.

DEVICE POR GRANKING AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION IILBD JULY 1, 1910.

Patented Oct. 17, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

VTL

wurvr/NATM J. S. CLARKE.

, DEVICE EOE CRANKING AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1,1910.

Patented Oct. 17, 1911.

NvEN TOR aun SIGLARKE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2..

L A .HMV Y Y Y L G er 1h@ www n; L Ams.

ITED STTES PATEN CFICE.,

, JOHN S. CLARKE, OFEASTCLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0ALEXANDER H. lLANG'ELL, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

DEVICE FOR CRANKING AUTOMOBILES.

yApplication filed J'uly 1, 1910.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. CLARKE, citizen of the United States,residing at East Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio,have invented'certain new and useful Improvements in Devices forCranking Automobiles, of which the following is anspecification.

lVIy invention relates to devices for cranking automobiles, and theobject of the in? vention is to provide an automobile with a source ofenergy and means adapted to be operated from the seat of the driver toapply said energy to the'crank or engine shaft to start the machine aswell as means to maintain the supply of energy or power, allsubstantially as shown anddescribed and particularly pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of the frontportion of an automobile with the parts embodying the invention inworking relation thereon. Fig. 2 is an enlarged and somewhatdiagrammatic side elevation partly in section of the more immediate oressential positions of the invention. Fig. 3 is a relatively enlargedside elevation of the motor casing and the corresponding end of thecrank shaft and the clutch mechanism therewith, and Fig. 4 is alongitudinal sectional elevation of Fig. 3.

Briefly stated, the invention comprises a motor to crank the engineshaft and `a tank of stored energy, say'com'pressed air to drive themotor. Incident to this 'are' the means for converting the motor into apump to maintain thesupply of air in the said tank, and the additionalmeans for setting the motor to either task from the drivers seat.

The details of the invention are associated with the foregoing.

Now viewing the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2,.-M represents a so-calledrotary motor which is in power relations with engine or crank shaft S,but is convertible into an air compressor by reversal of operation tofill or store the compressed air tank T whenV necessary. ...()f course Icould depend on some other source or means for maintaining a supply ofair in said tank, butit is a part of my present invention to do this bymeans of the motor which cranks the machineand is out of workingrelations with the machine except as cranking for startingoccurs. Themotor is therefore -at liberty to do other Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1911.

Serial No. 569,862.

work, and itis convertible into a rotary pump for forcing air into saidtank when the supply is diminished and as a pressure indicator on thetank will disclose. Said tank also has a safety valve to preventovercharging and explosion. In the first instance, or when aninstallation has just been `completed and there is no energy in tank T,

I start -the engines with the usual hand crank C, the head of which isshown in Fig. 4. The shaft S is operatively extended both for thispurpose and the mounting and operation of the combined motor and pump M,as will now appear. Thus, the pump casing indicated by M is made rigidwith the framework F of the machine and said frame has arms a extendinginward and terminating in a bearing b for the slidable clutch member Emounted in said bearing and sleeved over the end of shaft S. Next tothis clutch member I employ a tubular valve casing G which is threadedinternally in its outer end and screwed onto the threaded .projectingend of the motor axle A. The

other end of said axle has the hand crank `C movably engaged therewithfor cranking as hereinbefore described. The said clutch sleeve E isslidable lengthwise upon shaft S and its tubular extension -2 projectsinto casing G a sufficient distance to make clutching connection withsaid shaft but normally is disengaged under pressure of spring 3 aboutthe same and located between the fiangetthereon and said bearing Z2.Notches 5 i'n the'edge of said clutch are adapted to engage projections6 on shaft S, and a pin 7 through a slot 8 in extension 2 of said sleeveand fixed at its ends in casing G slidably and rotatably engages saidparts E and G. The said part G being also rotatably threaded upon shaftor axle A of the motor it follows that when the clutch E is carriedforward into .clutching engagement with shaftS and the motor is rotatedthe said Ashaft will be rotated also, and this is true whether rotationis by power or hand crank. For hand crank operation I employ the simplemechanism seen in Fig. 4 and consisting of the hand controlled lever L,the secondary lever Lf and the connecting link 10. Both said leversI arepivotally mounted at about their middle on fixed portions of frame F orother suitablesupport and lever L is bifurcated to engage at oppositesides of the'anged head of said clutch sleeve E and press it toclutching position. Spring 3 throws the sleeve back when the lever isreleased. By these means I can set the engines atwork initially tooperate the motor as a pump and fill tank T with compressed air. Afterthat the tank takes care of conditions and it is kept up to about anormal charge by occasional storing as the service demands. How this isaccomplished will now appear.

The motor or pump M has been described as rotary, and the rotor Rtherein is mounted eccentrically in this casing and has vanes or bladesm slidably mounted therein and held at Work by springs m behind thesame. Between tank T andy the motor there is interposed all themechanism adapted to charge the tank with compressed air'to start themotor and to operate the clutch mechanism preparatory to starting. Thesaid mechanism comprises sundry related parts including what is termed avalve pipe P because three several valves fu, c and v2 are locatedtherein. The said valves are supported in suitable couplings or casingshaving the usual diaphragm for seating the valves and connected bypipesections and Ts making as a whole the valve pipe marked P. The workingrelation of tank T to these parts is shown in Fig. l, but it is indiagram in Fig. 2 with other parts for rclearness of appre hension andbecause no arbitrary position for said tank is required. As shown a pipe14 connects the same with pipe P between valves o and o, and in thiscase these valves seat from .above` downward. Normally therefore thetank is cut olf from the motor and the tank pressure is on both saidvalves.

tion, and a hand lever H located conven-v iently on the hood of themachine in front 0f the driver enables him to easily reach and controlthe operations of the machine and such control compasses all theoperations of the motor and pump M as well.

From pipe P, so-called, there are three several pipe connections orpumps entering motor casing M, one on either side of the dead point ofthe rotor R in the casing by pipes n and n2 and the other n through thehub or neck thereof to an annular channel in axle A'and thence throughsaid axle into valve casing G and againstpiston J. In addition there isa cross connection a3 between pipes n and n2 comprising a T coupling atis normally its middle with which pipe a is connected and containing adouble acting sliding check vvalve 'U4 of substantially plug shape andadapted to close one or the other stem of said coupling while the .otheris left open. Obviously since pipesA n and 'n2 enter the motor onopposite sides of its deadjarea, the rotor may b'e air driven whenopened thereto from the tank. Thus, suppose it be desired to crank themachine for starting with the air tank under suitable compression. Theoperator would then simply impart a forward movementpto hand lever Hwhich would actuate crank lever L through rod H and open valve u to airfrom the tank.

`Meantime valve 'u' would remain closed and the compressed air wouldrush into the motor through channel n and to the clutch operatingpistonJ, Fig. 4,through channel n as just described. This latter action woulddrive the clutch member or sleeve E forward to interlock with pins 6 onshaft SI and thus bring the motor into power relations with said shaft,while the line of pressure through channel or passage n would drive themotor. Both these actions will continue together as long as lever Hholds them open through valve i), and they are jointly cut on? and themotor stopped when lever H is relaxed or reversed, and which is itsnormal position. A spring may be provided to help or hold this movement.When valve o is opened, pressure from the tank also shifts check valvelu4t to close the cross passage 15 to pipe n2. Exhaust from motor M isthrough pipe n2 and through valve @2 which open. When valve fu isclosed, or rather permitted to close, the air pressure -is cut ofi frompipe n and piston J and then spring 3 will withdraw the clutch fromshaft S. This is done as soon as the engine has to do with this phase ofte operations,

and incidentally valves o and lv2. As shown in Fig. 2 valve v2 is opento exhaust at 20 through pipe P and from the motor by pipe n2. But whenair is to be compressed into tank T the valve o is opened and valve 'v2closed. This closes the normal exhaust and opens the channel throughpipe a2 and valve pipe P thence to the tank, so that whatever airremaining under compression in tank T will pass through the pipes tocross pipe l5, and into pipe n', valve fu? being automatically shiftedto close the passage leading to passages open from said tank into saidro- A or liquid Huid t .connection between the said rotary pipe n.Piston J is thereby pressure actuated to throw the clutch E lnto workingrelation withcrank shaft S which is` presumably rotating under its ownpower atl this time, and rotor R is now power driven to serve as acompressor for replenishing tank T. In this operation the pressureobtained -from motor M (now a pump) maintains check valve Q14 iniitsshifted position -and keeps piston J in clutching relation with 4thecrank shaft until the desired compression or storage in tank isobtained.' `During this operation, intake 'of air to motor or .pump M 1sthrough a check valve K in the motor casing.

If for any reason the pressure intank T should be insuiiicilent to throwthe parts into clutching relation for storing up a compressed air supplywhile `the engine is running, the operator is still enabled to bringthis result about from the seat of tlie vehicle by pull upon cable orconnection I leading from the dash (l to the upper end of lever L.l Pullupon lever L also eects the vsame result. v

:Obviously any tary device, valves controlling the passage of air insaid passagesrespectively, a hand lever and mechanism vtherefrom adaptedto open and close said valves and an air passage" between said passagesleading to the Y device and said shaft and a piston in V"said latterpassage adapted to close said connection with the shaft.l

' 2.1m a road machine, an engine driven shaft, a rotary motor andcoupling connections between said parts comprising a piston Achamber andpiston, in combination with a lsource of Huid pressure and a passagetherefrom to said piston chamber, said passage being located in partthrough the axle of `said motor.

3. In a road machine, a motor having a shaft and a plston casmg formlngan extension of said shaft, an engine shaft and a cou lin o erativelunitin said en ine shag'.- agd sziid casingr having piston ongthe endthereof in said casing. i

-4. In a road machine, a motor and a source of stored fluid energy openthereto, in lcombination with an engine shaft and coupling mechanismbetween said engine shaft and motor to driven said shaft comprising apiston chamber and a coupling having a piston in said chamber and.adapted to be forced into working engagement with said engine shaft.

5. In a road machine, a rotar motor having a shaft and an engine s aftin line therewith, in combination with a slidably mounted couplingadapted to operatively engage said shafts, said coupling provided with apiston and a Huid passage open to the space between said piston and said'motor shaft, whereby said coupling is fluid actuated.r

6. In a road machine, an engine shaft, :L

rotary motor axially in line with said shaft and having a Huid passageaxially through the same, `a piston at the end of said motor shaftexposed to said fluid passage, a clutch operatively engaged by saidiston and adapted to engage said engine s aft, and a fluid pressuresource and a passage therefrom adapted to discharge into said motor andinto said Huid passage alike.

In testimony whereof I aflix my. signature in presence of two witnesses.JOI-IN S. CLARKE.

Witnesses:

E. M. FISHER, H. T. FISHER.

